So,
Back in school again for another semester. This time out the course is Reputation Management aka Crisis Communications and since its my fifth course in my PR certificate it officially puts me over the halfway mark in post secondary education: round 2.
My first assignment is supposed to be talking about my personal brand. What makes me, me?
6’4, blond hair, blue eyes, devastatingly handsome and recently started snoring in his sleep. Bam. Done. What more do you need to know? That’s my brand.
I also started the fall Frisbee season on Tuesday. I signed up as an individual and got thrown into a team that just made the switch from rec to intermediate. So I found myself handling again as some people were a little disc shy. Its not big a deal. Maybe I’ll take the opportunity to get my flick down. Stranger things have happened.* My only beef with the team is that we play at a venue that’s notorious for injuring people. The floor isn’t turf or wood, its some kind of rubberized concrete that becomes extremely slippery when the outdoor temp starts to drop. S tore her Achilles tendon there, I’ve seen break their wrist and more wipe outs then I can count. Last year I even wrote the sports league to complain about their continued use of the venue.
But with the loss of their domed turf field, the league can’t afford to be picky at where they schedule games. And since I signed up to play in it, apparently, neither can I.
*Stranger things have in fact NOT happened.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Shock and Awe
Oh yah,
ASBAR #10.
The one that has apparently been recalled due to a printing error. (Must fight the urge to add air quotes.) The one which must be instantly destroyed if you see it out in the open sunlight.
Well apparently my local comic shoppe decided to ignore that edict, received the title as planned, and stuck it on the shelf anyway.
Yes, there are some very bad words in here.
Yes, you can see said bad words without trying very hard.
No, I’m not shocked.
Let’s face it. If you’re reading ASBAR you’re doing it because a) You want to see just how far Miller will go before his overlords at DC pull him back. b) You like a good laugh, (and the dialogue in this title is nothing if not hilarious.) c) You want to be a part of the tidal wave of public criticism and (sometimes) mockery. d) You like Jim Lee’s art.
Honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much. It feels like shock for shock’s sake, like a writer trying to push the envelope, trying to stir up some controversy and hey, its working.
Very few people I know admit to liking ASBAR, but they all read it, because they’re fascinated by how far this thing will go. I don’t know how well this title is selling, mostly because I’m too lazy to use the internet, but it’s still being published so obviously someone is reading.
Yes the language goes way beyond strong, but honestly this comic wasn’t intended for younger readers. The argument that, just because it contains Batman, we should be extra vigilant in ensuring that it remains all ages friendly is disingenuous. We make Batman comics (Super Friends) for younger readers, why can’t we have ones for older ones as well? Like anything else that may be bad for children, booze, drugs, cigarettes, guns, etc, accountability for making sure this comic doesn’t end up in the wrong hands lies in the hands of responsible adults.
Of course kids are going to want to see Batman swear. They’re also going to want to Daddy’s Playboys as well. Specifically because they’re not supposed to see it. We know to keep pornography from children, so why not questionable reading material as well? If your childhood hero using offensive language disturbs you on a personal level, then vote with your wallet or write to someone who can do something about it.
In an industry where almost every safe plotline has been done, it’s inevitable that someone is going to try to push the boundaries in order to find something new. If that offends you, push back.
ASBAR #10.
The one that has apparently been recalled due to a printing error. (Must fight the urge to add air quotes.) The one which must be instantly destroyed if you see it out in the open sunlight.
Well apparently my local comic shoppe decided to ignore that edict, received the title as planned, and stuck it on the shelf anyway.
Yes, there are some very bad words in here.
Yes, you can see said bad words without trying very hard.
No, I’m not shocked.
Let’s face it. If you’re reading ASBAR you’re doing it because a) You want to see just how far Miller will go before his overlords at DC pull him back. b) You like a good laugh, (and the dialogue in this title is nothing if not hilarious.) c) You want to be a part of the tidal wave of public criticism and (sometimes) mockery. d) You like Jim Lee’s art.
Honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much. It feels like shock for shock’s sake, like a writer trying to push the envelope, trying to stir up some controversy and hey, its working.
Very few people I know admit to liking ASBAR, but they all read it, because they’re fascinated by how far this thing will go. I don’t know how well this title is selling, mostly because I’m too lazy to use the internet, but it’s still being published so obviously someone is reading.
Yes the language goes way beyond strong, but honestly this comic wasn’t intended for younger readers. The argument that, just because it contains Batman, we should be extra vigilant in ensuring that it remains all ages friendly is disingenuous. We make Batman comics (Super Friends) for younger readers, why can’t we have ones for older ones as well? Like anything else that may be bad for children, booze, drugs, cigarettes, guns, etc, accountability for making sure this comic doesn’t end up in the wrong hands lies in the hands of responsible adults.
Of course kids are going to want to see Batman swear. They’re also going to want to Daddy’s Playboys as well. Specifically because they’re not supposed to see it. We know to keep pornography from children, so why not questionable reading material as well? If your childhood hero using offensive language disturbs you on a personal level, then vote with your wallet or write to someone who can do something about it.
In an industry where almost every safe plotline has been done, it’s inevitable that someone is going to try to push the boundaries in order to find something new. If that offends you, push back.
Work bit
Crashed a press conference this morning, for strictly work related reasons. Met Paul Gross, Don McKellar, Martha Burns and Karen Kain.
I was literally surrounded by a who’s who of Canada’s A-list arts and culture types.
I’m being pounded into the ground with work right now. I’m like a carnival whack-a-mole. I’m rushing to meet deadlines on Project A, while the recent federal election call means that I need to deal with the appearance of an instant workload on Project B.
Such is life.
The arrival of the new staffer is a mixed blessing for me. One the one hand I’ve been doing the job of two people for almost a year now so I can’t deny that the extra set of hands is needed. On the other hand I embrace change like a vampire embraces sunlight, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth…followed by a little internal combustion.
She’s a nice person, works hard and is probably smarter than I am. She also knows my Manager outside of work and is another opinion that muddies the water a little bit. Even though it was a shit load of work, I’d become used to shouldering the load and it’s like pulling teeth for me to give any of it up.
I was literally surrounded by a who’s who of Canada’s A-list arts and culture types.
I’m being pounded into the ground with work right now. I’m like a carnival whack-a-mole. I’m rushing to meet deadlines on Project A, while the recent federal election call means that I need to deal with the appearance of an instant workload on Project B.
Such is life.
The arrival of the new staffer is a mixed blessing for me. One the one hand I’ve been doing the job of two people for almost a year now so I can’t deny that the extra set of hands is needed. On the other hand I embrace change like a vampire embraces sunlight, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth…followed by a little internal combustion.
She’s a nice person, works hard and is probably smarter than I am. She also knows my Manager outside of work and is another opinion that muddies the water a little bit. Even though it was a shit load of work, I’d become used to shouldering the load and it’s like pulling teeth for me to give any of it up.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
TIFF not for the regular guy anymore
So I’ve seen (and participated) in some chatter about how the basic nature of TIFF has changed recently. Last weekend, a Toronto newspaper columnist even called it elitist and went on to list a bunch of reasons why the fest wasn’t about the regular people any longer.
I have to say on the whole I find his basic premise spot on. The fest has changed. About five or six years ago when I first started attending it seriously I could buy a ten back of tickets for about a hundred bucks (tax included) and have a reasonable chance at getting in to see just about any film on the schedule. This included some years where I spent some serious time in the Rush Line in the hopes of catching a hot film. Now days I pay north of 160 for that same ten pack and may get none of my first picks if I happen to get a bad box in the random draw.
It’s all changed now. The big venues are more interested in keeping people away, setting up more and more of those crowd control barriers at the larger venues (Roy T and the Elgin). It used to be I could stand in the Rush Line at Roy T and watch the limos pull up and drop the glitterati off. Nowdays I’d have to run a gamut of police officers, photogs, crazed fans and crowd control barriers straight out of Children of Men. Inviting it isn’t.
Then there’s the preferential treatment afforded to ‘Donors’, the price jacking of anything at the Elgin, the ever encroaching presence of big name sponsors, an unhealthy obsession by the media to cover the eating habits of whatever celeb happens to be in town and a general overall feeling that this festival isn’t about having fun anymore.
It’s about setting up a pecking order for those with enough money and influence to jump the line and get in to all the hot parties. Its about business and doing deals and getting sponsors ships and the prestigious of a permanent office on Queen Street (the sponsorally named Bell Lightbox)
I guess the only question have is ‘What took it so long?’
I have to say on the whole I find his basic premise spot on. The fest has changed. About five or six years ago when I first started attending it seriously I could buy a ten back of tickets for about a hundred bucks (tax included) and have a reasonable chance at getting in to see just about any film on the schedule. This included some years where I spent some serious time in the Rush Line in the hopes of catching a hot film. Now days I pay north of 160 for that same ten pack and may get none of my first picks if I happen to get a bad box in the random draw.
It’s all changed now. The big venues are more interested in keeping people away, setting up more and more of those crowd control barriers at the larger venues (Roy T and the Elgin). It used to be I could stand in the Rush Line at Roy T and watch the limos pull up and drop the glitterati off. Nowdays I’d have to run a gamut of police officers, photogs, crazed fans and crowd control barriers straight out of Children of Men. Inviting it isn’t.
Then there’s the preferential treatment afforded to ‘Donors’, the price jacking of anything at the Elgin, the ever encroaching presence of big name sponsors, an unhealthy obsession by the media to cover the eating habits of whatever celeb happens to be in town and a general overall feeling that this festival isn’t about having fun anymore.
It’s about setting up a pecking order for those with enough money and influence to jump the line and get in to all the hot parties. Its about business and doing deals and getting sponsors ships and the prestigious of a permanent office on Queen Street (the sponsorally named Bell Lightbox)
I guess the only question have is ‘What took it so long?’
Monday, September 8, 2008
Purge
So last night was the big clothes purge.
I got rid of nearly two dozen T-shirts, some pitched callously overboard in a desperate bid to save my concert Ts, a double handful of socks, a lone pair of pants, and another lone pair of shorts and a couple long sleeved work shirts I no longer wear. They all went in a big black garbage bag for drop off at the closest Salvation Army. I even managed to chuck a jacket that I don’t wear anymore.
I tried for almost an hour to get rid of an old (p)leather motorcycle jacket that absolutely doesn’t suit me but I love nonetheless. In the end I tucked it back in the closet, secure in the knowledge that I’ll go through the same dance with it the next time I do a clothes purge.
For the first time in years there is space in the closet. Which of course only served to remind me of the other clothes I want, but put off buying due to wedding related expenses (MEC jacket, plain black T’s, new pair of sports shorts and some replacement dri-fit)
I got rid of nearly two dozen T-shirts, some pitched callously overboard in a desperate bid to save my concert Ts, a double handful of socks, a lone pair of pants, and another lone pair of shorts and a couple long sleeved work shirts I no longer wear. They all went in a big black garbage bag for drop off at the closest Salvation Army. I even managed to chuck a jacket that I don’t wear anymore.
I tried for almost an hour to get rid of an old (p)leather motorcycle jacket that absolutely doesn’t suit me but I love nonetheless. In the end I tucked it back in the closet, secure in the knowledge that I’ll go through the same dance with it the next time I do a clothes purge.
For the first time in years there is space in the closet. Which of course only served to remind me of the other clothes I want, but put off buying due to wedding related expenses (MEC jacket, plain black T’s, new pair of sports shorts and some replacement dri-fit)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Chris does TIFF: Is There Anybody There? edition
Is There Anybody There?
September 7th, 3pm
Ryerson Theatre
10 year old Edward, Bill Milner from Son of Rambow, lives with his parents in a family run nursing home. Life hasn't been very easy for him as of late. His old bedroom is now the property of aging geriatrics, his classmates don't think very much of him and his parents' relationship is slowly breaking apart under the financial and emotional toil of caring after the elderly. To escape the death that surrounds him everyday Edward becomes obsessed with the afterlife and contacting those from beyond the grave in order to figure out what dying is really like.
Into his life lurches Clarence, (Michael Caine from lots of interesting movies you should probably watch), an aged former magician who is tragically unable to put the death of his wife behind him. When Edward saves Clarence during a failed suicide the young boy attempts to befriend the octogenarian in the hopes of finding out what its really like when people die.
What follows next is a fairly predictable, but no less touching and heartwarming, story of two outcasts who seem to have no one in life but each other. Caine, a wonderfully gifted character actor, is remarkably restrained in his performance in this film, but his pain and guilt at the loss of his wife manages to burst through his reserved exterior nonetheless. Even late in his career this talented actor shows that he can do more with a few subtle eyes gestures than some performers can achieve over their entire life. This is award winning stuff we're watching here.
Sadly, the friendship of Clarence and Edward cannot last. Clarence begins to suffer from the onset of senility and drifts further and further away from Edward as his mind starts to fail him.
Director John Crowley is remarkably adept at manipulating emotions throughout this movie. He is able to find the warmth and humour in this tragic tale, without ever turning the film into a comical farce or falling prey to the over-the-top melodramatics that a less gifted director might lean on. By resisting the urge to hold the audience's hand and lead us directly to the film's message, Crowley allows the audience to discover it on their own by respecting their abilty to read between the lines.
The power of this film stems directly from the strength of its characters. Their struggle to come to terms with their lot in life is so simple and honest that the audience cannot help but to emphasize with their pain. And even though they may not all be able to find happiness for themselves, there always seems to be a helping hand to pick them up after they've fallen.
September 7th, 3pm
Ryerson Theatre
10 year old Edward, Bill Milner from Son of Rambow, lives with his parents in a family run nursing home. Life hasn't been very easy for him as of late. His old bedroom is now the property of aging geriatrics, his classmates don't think very much of him and his parents' relationship is slowly breaking apart under the financial and emotional toil of caring after the elderly. To escape the death that surrounds him everyday Edward becomes obsessed with the afterlife and contacting those from beyond the grave in order to figure out what dying is really like.
Into his life lurches Clarence, (Michael Caine from lots of interesting movies you should probably watch), an aged former magician who is tragically unable to put the death of his wife behind him. When Edward saves Clarence during a failed suicide the young boy attempts to befriend the octogenarian in the hopes of finding out what its really like when people die.
What follows next is a fairly predictable, but no less touching and heartwarming, story of two outcasts who seem to have no one in life but each other. Caine, a wonderfully gifted character actor, is remarkably restrained in his performance in this film, but his pain and guilt at the loss of his wife manages to burst through his reserved exterior nonetheless. Even late in his career this talented actor shows that he can do more with a few subtle eyes gestures than some performers can achieve over their entire life. This is award winning stuff we're watching here.
Sadly, the friendship of Clarence and Edward cannot last. Clarence begins to suffer from the onset of senility and drifts further and further away from Edward as his mind starts to fail him.
Director John Crowley is remarkably adept at manipulating emotions throughout this movie. He is able to find the warmth and humour in this tragic tale, without ever turning the film into a comical farce or falling prey to the over-the-top melodramatics that a less gifted director might lean on. By resisting the urge to hold the audience's hand and lead us directly to the film's message, Crowley allows the audience to discover it on their own by respecting their abilty to read between the lines.
The power of this film stems directly from the strength of its characters. Their struggle to come to terms with their lot in life is so simple and honest that the audience cannot help but to emphasize with their pain. And even though they may not all be able to find happiness for themselves, there always seems to be a helping hand to pick them up after they've fallen.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Festival Cup: Post game highlights
So S and I went to the inaugural Festival Cup last night at the ACC.
It was an interesting event, a roughly equal mix of celebrities types and professional hockey players. We got to sit right up front, which is a prospect that S and I are unlikely to enjoy at a Leaf game anytime soon (not being budding multi-millionaires of course)
But for the 36 bucks a pop we got to see Sundin on the ACC ice, one last time, as well as Gilmour, Stajan, Avery, Robataille, and Cujo. If I had one complaint it would be that the game was almost a little too relaxed. I know this is a charity game and some of these players would be out a lot of money if they were seriously hurt. But it wouldn’t kill you to hustle after the puck and scrap a little bit in the corners would you?
Being energetic doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be rough. Just keep in mind that no one’s paying money to watch people skate around out there like its open ice night at their local arena.
What was kind of wank though was how they game was obviously pre-destined to end in a shoot out. With about fifteen seconds left in the game the ‘White’ team accidentally scored and you could tell from the ‘oh shit’ look on the scorer’s face that he knew he wasn’t supposed to do that. But the refs called back the goal and we were all treated to some amusing antics from Cujo during the shoot out as he flopped back and forth on the ice, bending over backwards so that some of the shooters would get a goal.
Things I enjoyed
Tim Robbins getting accidentally smoked by his own teammate.
Cujo playing the puck end to end on the ice.
Sean Avery getting booed every time he was on camera or on the ice
D.B. Sweeney. (toepick)
Tim Robbins getting in a faux-fistfight
The standing ‘O’ for Sundin (come back Mats)
Spezza getting his balls busted by the announcer
Jim Basille scoring a goal.
Things I did not
Dougie Gilmour only playing one shift, WTF?
The new Leaf ‘goal scored’ animation.
The idiots behind me (Is that Bobby Orr? I could kick Cujo’s ass)
Overall I had a good time and if they try this event next year, I think I could be persuaded to do it again.
It was an interesting event, a roughly equal mix of celebrities types and professional hockey players. We got to sit right up front, which is a prospect that S and I are unlikely to enjoy at a Leaf game anytime soon (not being budding multi-millionaires of course)
But for the 36 bucks a pop we got to see Sundin on the ACC ice, one last time, as well as Gilmour, Stajan, Avery, Robataille, and Cujo. If I had one complaint it would be that the game was almost a little too relaxed. I know this is a charity game and some of these players would be out a lot of money if they were seriously hurt. But it wouldn’t kill you to hustle after the puck and scrap a little bit in the corners would you?
Being energetic doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be rough. Just keep in mind that no one’s paying money to watch people skate around out there like its open ice night at their local arena.
What was kind of wank though was how they game was obviously pre-destined to end in a shoot out. With about fifteen seconds left in the game the ‘White’ team accidentally scored and you could tell from the ‘oh shit’ look on the scorer’s face that he knew he wasn’t supposed to do that. But the refs called back the goal and we were all treated to some amusing antics from Cujo during the shoot out as he flopped back and forth on the ice, bending over backwards so that some of the shooters would get a goal.
Things I enjoyed
Tim Robbins getting accidentally smoked by his own teammate.
Cujo playing the puck end to end on the ice.
Sean Avery getting booed every time he was on camera or on the ice
D.B. Sweeney. (toepick)
Tim Robbins getting in a faux-fistfight
The standing ‘O’ for Sundin (come back Mats)
Spezza getting his balls busted by the announcer
Jim Basille scoring a goal.
Things I did not
Dougie Gilmour only playing one shift, WTF?
The new Leaf ‘goal scored’ animation.
The idiots behind me (Is that Bobby Orr? I could kick Cujo’s ass)
Overall I had a good time and if they try this event next year, I think I could be persuaded to do it again.
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